Living Better While Spending Less – Secrets of America's Upper Class

Old Money Makes the UpJourney

I was delighted to be included in an article that appeared yesterday on UpJourney.

My thoughts on “Why Life is So Hard” appear HERE. (My comments are near the end of the article.)

In other news, we’re currently visiting Valencia, Spain, which is a charming city with a rich, fascinating history. On this mission, Old Money HQ is the Westin Hotel Valencia. The hotel is tastefully decorated, the food exceptional, and the staff attentive.

Leather and orchids. The very Spanish lobby of the Westin Valencia.

Not being in a European capital city has also brought other pleasant surprises: the prices here in Valencia and at the Westin are very reasonable. I enjoyed a delicious (and huge!) dish of paella Sunday night here at the hotel for a very down-to-earth 16 euros. Last night’s salmon was perfect (topped with cucumber shavings and a honey-and-something-else sauce, the ingredients of which I couldn’t decipher.)

A fresh and delightful lunch yesterday at Lemon Grass in the historic center set us back a whopping 21 euros for lunch for two. I enjoyed pad thai noodles and my wife had a mouth-watering bowl of mixed vegetables in herb sauce. The hip crowd at the (basically) Indian cuisine cafe was loud, but the service was prompt and the meal, again, fresh and flavorful. Apparently it’s a global chain, but the personal service and intimate atmosphere made the place feel very local.

A glimpse of the ornate ceiling at Valencia’s city hall.

The lunch was a welcome break after a two hour walking tour of the historic center. We had a small group (6 of us) and an art history student as a tour guide, which made the excursion enjoyable and informative. (Advice: use licensed tour guides to ensure a quality experience.) My wife booked the tour and has the their contact details…so I’m unable provide a link at present. My apologies. If you’d like that info, please let me know and I’ll forward.

The Westin’s subterranean pool and workout facility.

Dawn is now breaking on the courtyard of the hotel, a petite paradise of olive and palm trees, and the lobby, deserted, quiet, and tranquil, is now beginning to hum with activity. Staff whip crisp tablecloths onto tables. Businessmen enter, nod to me, and settle in to a green velvet sofa or chair. Moments later, like me, digging into their laptops, trying to get a head start on the day.

But the very real need for coffee is kicking in, so I’m cutting work short. We leave Valencia tomorrow, and there’s still so much we want to see.

Enjoy the article on UpJourney. And let me know if posts like this are something you’d like to see more of on The Old Money Blog. If you feel travel is too off-topic, let me know that, too.

Hi Mark, we are planning London for mid June (business) and September (relaxation). The Eurostar border process has been a little tricky of late, so we’re waiting and watching. Looking forward to it, though. Thanks, – BGT

More of both kinds of writing. Your post has me excited about my family summer rituals. We eat Al fresco on the weekends during the summer and my wife and I make paella with friends. At the end of the summer when our friends give us al of their extra vegetables from they’re gardens it’s time to enjoy Le Grand Aioli. A simple charcoal grill and a picnic table with a table cloth definitely makes life less hard.

Hi Byron: I enjoy any- and everything you write about. I read the article referenced above, and, while all of the authors’ comments were good, yours made the most sense to me, starting with “cook a meal.” Travel, lifestyle, finances, opinion articles, etc. all make for enjoyable, sensible reading.

Indeed, to be happy, we don’t need most of the things that advertising claims we do.

Diogenes, who lived on the streets, was once visited by Alexander the Great. “While Diogenes was relaxing in the morning sunlight, Alexander, thrilled to meet the famous philosopher, asked if there was any favour he might do for him. Diogenes replied, “Yes, stand out of my sunlight.” Alexander then declared, “If I were not Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes.” “If I were not Diogenes, I would still wish to be Diogenes,” Diogenes replied.